President Donald J. Trump gave the keynote address Tuesday evening at the Susan B. Anthony List’s eleventh annual Campaign for Life Gala in Washington, D.C., becoming the first President of the United States to address a pro-life gathering in person.

Life Issues Institute president Brad Mattes, who was present at the event, said the President “made a powerful presence” and hailed him as “a steadfast and unwavering champion for the unborn.”

“In 43 years of pro-life advocacy I have never seen such momentum and advancement on behalf of innocent human life than what I’ve witnessed since President Donald Trump has taken office,” Mattes said in a letter to friends and supporters.

“Look at all he has accomplished in less than a year and a half. Then consider the time he has left,” he continued. “This is a thrilling opportunity for the pro-life movement, because day by day, we are getting closer to a time when the poison venom of Roe vs. Wade is overturned and abortion is put to a swift end in America.”

Further energizing the pro-life movement, the President announced at the gala his administration’s proposal of a new rule to prohibit Title X funding from going to any clinic that performs abortions.

“For decades, American taxpayers have been wrongfully forced to subsidize the abortion industry through Title X federal funding,” the President said. “So today, we have kept another promise.”

The announcement was welcomed across the nation by pro-life leaders who say the proposed regulations will close a large loophole for the abortion industry.

“With this rule change, no Title X money can be used to fund abortions,” explained Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, in a blog post. “In other words, if they’re going to continue accepting Title X dollars, Planned Parenthood and other similar organizations must separate – physically and financially – their family planning services from their abortion business.”

Daly noted that Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, has to date consistently refused to separate its abortion facilities and personnel from the facilities and personnel involved with its Title X services.

“HHS’s announcement that it will be bringing back a Reagan-era regulation dealing with family planning funds and abortion responds to the cry of millions of Americans who want their government to support life, not death,” Daly added.

In commending the President for proposing the new rule, NRB president & CEO Dr. Jerry A. Johnson said, “I am grateful for this administration’s steadfast commitment to life, and for stepping in on behalf of Americans who do not want their tax dollars to go directly, or even indirectly, to support abortion.”

“There is no reason groups like Planned Parenthood should be subsidized by the government,” Johnson added. “It’s time to discontinue the flow of taxpayer money to the abortion industry.”

In addition to the Title X announcement, the President on Tuesday highlighted his administration’s support of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would generally ban abortions of unborn children after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with limited exceptions.

He noted that the United States is one of only seven countries in the world to allow elective abortions after 20 weeks, when unborn babies can feel pain.

“Now we have a chance to … restore the first right in the Declaration of Independence,” the President said. “It’s called the right to life.”

“When we look into the eyes of a newborn child, there is no doubt we see the beauty of the human soul and the mystery of God’s great creation,” he continued. “We know that every life has meaning and that every life is totally worth protecting.”

“He has been a fighter and a champion for unborn children, their mothers, and pro-life taxpayers, and his administration has made unprecedented gains for life. With President Trump leading the charge and the pro-life grassroots energized by his agenda, we are closer than ever to ending the injustice of abortion and restoring a society that protects every mother and child,” she concluded.

National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) is a unique gathering of people, united by purpose and message: to proclaim the Good News of eternal life through Jesus Christ; to transform culture through the application of sound biblical teaching; and to advance biblical truth, to promote media excellence, and to defend free speech.